ISSUE 1: 2020 / VOLUME 53
Contents
12 03
President's Message
06
Member News
10
Awards
20
Career Timeline
26
15 Questions
29
GCSAA Update
31
Photo Pages
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ON THE COVER Mountain Ridge Country Club Cliff Moore, Superintendent
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Cast Away Leo Barber of Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club in New Zealand shares the importance of reconnecting with nature.
The Course After Dark Bats and how they help your course.
Radioactive Todd Raisch recounts his experience visiting Chernobyl with some fellow GCSANJ members.
The Ask What music takes you back to your good old days?
Photo by Evan Schiller
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Our Contributors Editor in Chief : Todd Raisch, CGCS Graphics Editor: Lance Rogers, CGCS Design & Layout Editor: Maureen Sharples Photography Editor: Shaun Barry Contributing Writers: Leo Barber, Shaun Barry, Todd Raisch, CGCS, Evan Drake, Maureen Sharples Officers: Joe Kinlin, President Jeremy Hreben, CGCS, Vice President Michael Tardogno, Treasurer Todd Raisch, CGCS, Secretary Russ Harris, Past President Directors: District II- Fred Parcells District III- Tom Higgins District IV- Jennifer Torres At-Large: Ken Anson Jonathan Heywood Lance Rogers, CGCS Commercial Representatives Rob Johnson & Tyler Otero Rutgers Liaisons Dr. Bruce Clarke & Dr. James Murphy Executive Director Maureen Sharples
GCSANJ Newsletter is published four times a year. © 2020 THE GREENERSIDE Opinions expressed in this Newsletter are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily express the opinions or policies of the GCSANJ Board and its membership. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Joe Kinlin Chapter President Bey Lea Golf Course
I want to begin by hoping all of you and your families are safe and healthy. I can sum up these past few months in one word, unprecedented. When I began my presidency back in November, I never would have thought our way of life, work, and normalcy would be completely shut down due to a pandemic. As a Board, we were eager and enthusiastic about our plans for the chapter this season, but plans change, and our focus shifted. We are now working hard to provide our members with the resources needed to persevere. It is during times like this that your membership to GCSAA and GCSANJ will prove most valuable, offering you the guidance and the answers you need to move forward. Leading up to Executive Order 107 signed by Governor Murphy on March 21, 2020, GCSAA and GCSANJ worked hand in hand seeking clarification on what that order would mean for our industry. GCSAA Manager of Government Affairs, Michael Lee, and Field Representative, Kevin Doyle, as well as Keith Bennett from the Green Industry Council, were all instrumental in weathering the storm of the closing and then re-opening of golf in our state. GCSANJ, GCSAA, and our allied associations continue to advocate for our industry. There are many challenges we will face in the next few months; golf course superintendents are no stranger to adversity. We were made for this and will emerge from this crisis stronger and smarter. Staff will be minimal, and budgets will be cut, but how you execute will prove that you are an asset to your facility. I have heard so many great ideas in talking with many of you over the past weeks. I have seen golf professionals and general managers helping on the golf course, new strategies with plant growth regulators, and countless others. If you have ideas, please share them. Together we are stronger. Simplifying all programs should be a priority. The faculty at Rutgers has once again stepped up to support us by producing a webinar with GCSANJ to help share their expertise. In case you missed it, you can find the video on the Chapter News page on our website. Remember to take care of yourself too. We are often so focused on our families and facilities that we forget about ourselves. Do not hesitate to call someone when you are overwhelmed, maybe a neighboring superintendent, a sales rep, a family member, or a friend. I am sure they would love to hear from you. In closing, try to remember these wise words from Abraham Lincoln, “Behind the clouds the sun is still shining.”
Stay well, JOE KINLIN Chapter President THE GREENERSIDE | 3
FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Maureen Sharples As I write this, I know that many of you have been affected by the Covid-19, either through someone you know or perhaps even yourself or a family member. Please know that as we continue to navigate through this very challenging time, our association stands firm in the fact that we are truly here for you. I know that slogan gets a lot of airplay; airline commercials, insurance companies even car companies, but the truth is that it is our primary job to serve our members both professionally as well as personally. Need some help, give a shout. We are your team and we are willing to help in any way we can.
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When difficult times fall upon us and a complicated task is at hand, one of the most valuable solaces we can have is that of friendship. True friends support one another, lend a helping hand, and offer sound words of wisdom. One of the things I admire the most about our association is the loyal “friendships” we have developed throughout our industry. When the going got tough over the past several weeks, our association was fortunate to have great friends in the leaders of our allied associations standing with us. The New Jersey Green Industry Council in particular, with our member, Keith Bennett serving as their President, has proven once again to be a valuable resource especially in this time of uncertainty. Their guidance and partnership with State Street Associates became the driving force of our lobbying efforts to guide us through the flexibility required to keep a strong foothold in the golf industry. Our relationship with them proved to be integral as we joined resources with the New Jersey State Golf Association, New Jersey PGA, Philadelphia PGA, New Jersey Club Managers Association, and the New Jersey Golf Course Owners Association. Together, we have been working diligently to advocate on behalf of our industry. As a group, we care deeply for our members and facilities and look forward to the day when we all are fully back in business. As we all prepare for some form of normalcy, our Golf Committee is developing ways to tailor our upcoming events to provide comradery among our members in a safe and secure way. Until we have the opportunity to meet again, stay safe out there.
Let's Connect 48 973-812-0710
msharples@gcsanj.org
@GCSANJ1926
facebook.com/gcsanj MAUREEN SHARPLES Executive Director, GCSANJ
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2020 GCSANJ SPONSOR PARTNERS
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PLATINUM PARTNERS
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GOLD PARTNERS
SILVER PARTNERS
BRONZE PARTNERS
Thank you for your generosity and support!
MEMBER NEWS
NEW MEMBERS Shannon Horn, Class B Watchung Valley Golf Club
Kory Kelly, Class C TPC Jasna Polana
Sean Remington, Class AF REMI Golf & Turf, LLC
Jeff Bossio, Class C TPC Jasna Polana
Scott Scherer, Class AF Willow's Bend Irrigation
Larry Milonas, Class C Monmouth County Park System
Michael Elliott, Class D Pine Valley Golf Club
Justin Eckert, Class C Manasquan River Golf Club
Jay Ewan, Class B Hidden Creek Golf Club
Rory Brogan, Class C Manasquan River Golf Club
Kevin Coombs, Class AF Coombs Sod Farm
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MEMBER NEWS
GCSANJ FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS We are now accepting applications for the GCSANJ Foundation Scholarships.
GROWING FAMILIES Ryan Ponnwitz of Alpine Country Club and his wife, Mallory welcomed their first daughter, Cora Paris Ponnwitz on February 27th. She was 6 lbs. 12 oz.
The GCSANJ Foundation offers annual scholarships for our members, their children, or spouses. Please fill out the application before June 1, 2020. Visit gcsanj.org/scholarship to apply. Contact the GCSANJ office at 973-812-0710 if you need assistance.
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APPLY FOR THE 2020 SYNGENTA BUSINESS INSTITUTE Golf course superintendents looking to take their leadership skills to the next level can now apply for the 2020 Syngenta Business InstituteSM (SBI), being held Dec. 1-4, 2020, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Now in its 12th year, the SBI program is led by Wake Forest University School of Business faculty. The curriculum, which has been tailored specifically for golf course superintendents, focuses on financial management, work/life balance, navigating generational and cultural differences, leadership skills, effective communication and negotiation tactics. To learn more about the Syngenta Business Institute and to apply, visit GreenCastOnline.com/SBI. Superintendents can also contact their local Syngenta territory manager for more information. Completed SBI applications are due by midnight on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Selected participants will be notified of their acceptance in October.
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MEMBER NEWS
ED WALSH AWARD DOUG VOGEL AND LEO BARBER RECEIVE THE ED WALSH AWARD 2018 AWARD Doug Vogel, Golf Course Superintendent at Preakness Valley Golf Course in Wayne, NJ, has been chosen as the 2018 Ed Walsh Award recipient for his article “Rewriting GCSANJ History, The Truth About Riggs Miller.” The article was published in Volume 48 of the Greenerside and tells the history of our chapter’s first President, T.H. Riggs-Miller and his prolific career. Doug is a valued volunteer of our Communications Committee, and a frequent contributor to the Greenerside. He was the recipient of the Member of the Year award in 2000.
2019 AWARD Leo Barber, Golf Course Superintendent and General Manager of the Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club in New Zealand, has been chosen as the 2019 Ed Walsh Award recipient for his article “Getting Back to Nature.” The article was published in Volume 52 of the Greenerside and tells his personal experience and advice on connecting with nature as a superintendent. Leo is an Honorary Member of GCSANJ and was our keynote speaker at the 2017 Green Expo. *Check out Leo's latest article on page 12.
The Ed Walsh Award is presented to a GCSANJ member in recognition of the best superintendent-written article in the Greenerside magazine. All member superintendents who have an article printed in the magazine are automatically eligible for this award. Shaun Barry of the Awards Committee heads up the voting process in which the past winners and a diverse group of volunteers choose a recipient. The award honors Ed Walsh, a longtime New Jersey golf course superintendent and past Editor in Chief of the Greenerside.
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CAST AWAY
BY LEO BARBER, GCS/GM PARAPARAUMU BEACH GOLF CLUB
By Doug Vogel Golf Course Superintendent, Preakness Valley Golf Course
I was in Melbourne attending a course for future turf managers in a mentor capacity when New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a tightening at the border and a requirement for all inbound travellers to quarantine for a period of 14 days as part of our country’s efforts to contain the rapidly spreading risk of COVID-19. “Be prepared to be treated like a leper” was the simple but frank text message received from a friend as I digested the press conference and pondered the implications for my return travel back to New Zealand.
The guidelines were pretty clear (stay at home and social distance) and the responsibility for compliance largely sat with the individual. If I was being honest, the thought of a few weeks of rest and relaxation and some freedom from work and family sounded pretty appealing at this early stage. A plan was put in place with the family as I boarded the plane so as to manage the potential risks of a returning traveller - I was to commandeer the main bedroom and ensuite, the kitchen would be off limits and distance would be maintained at all times. I had Wi-Fi, space, prepared meals and it all sounded manageable if not more than a little advantageous. By the time I landed however the world had certainly changed and the reality of what I faced hauntingly echoed the sentiments of that earlier message from my friend. This was a country that was taking Coronavirus very seriously and acting early. Whilst the Government advised that quarantining would be self-managed, society was quickly maintaining the enforcement and should I step foot back inside my own house, several emails received explained my kids would no longer be welcome at their school and my
wife would be unable to work alongside her team. You got the immediate feeling that you were being held to a higher account than Government decree and despite being symptom free it was being assumed by all that you would be carrying this dreaded disease. As I collected my vehicle and drove from the airport, I commenced heading to...I didn’t know where. A Ute (pick-up) that would normally be filled with music was a giant speaker for my phone as I hurriedly made calls searching for the Plan B. Each potential alternative to heading home impacted in some way on someone else and you could sense the fear and panic of a nation that to this point thankfully had recorded no deaths and had less than ten confirmed cases. Still, the fear was real. As I neared my home in Paraparaumu, I made one last phone call and out of options I instructed my wife to prepare some camping equipment – a tent, a small cooker, sleeping bag and some food, and leave them on the drive for me to collect. As we say in New Zealand, I was going to “go bush”.
Fisher Ad
A typical meal during isolation, heated noodles eaten on the roadside where I had phone reception. Pro tip 1 – add tuna for a gourmet lift. Pro tip 2 – drain the juice and retain as a soup. Add a bread roll and you now have lunch!!
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It was a surreal feeling driving into the small cul-de-sac where I reside and while neighbours peered from behind their windows and my own family stared at me through the safety of glass, I collected the possessions, mouthed that I loved them and headed quite literally for the hills. I had googled and found a simple remote campsite just less than an hour north. This wasn’t the kind that would have a cookhouse, ablution block, swimming pool or games room as you might be picturing – that would defeat the purpose of quarantining and place me in a situation of sharing facilities with others and risking spread should I be carrying, rather this was remote enough not to have cell phone reception but salubrious enough to offer one simple long drop toilet where I could take care of “business”. I found the furthest patch of grass in the park and pitched my tent. Honey, I was home!! Despite the challenges of sleeping in a tent, living out of my Ute and surviving on care packages from home dropped at agreed locations, the real challenge was leading my team back at the golf club during this period of crisis and a situation that was literally changing by the day as the business of our club went through the various stages of shutdown alongside the rest of the country in a very short space of time. Planning sessions held remotely, board meetings dialled into and emailing off the phone all offered degrees of connectivity but being in an isolated world, the most difficult aspect was having very little feel for how things were on the ground, sensing the vibe of the membership and how my staff were coping in reality. It is one thing to delegate and direct from a command post, but my style is more akin to that of an oldfashioned leader who enjoys being in the trenches and right now was the time to be going over the top.
Home away from home. A tent pitched in the far corner of a park amongst the foothills of a local mountain range would provide the necessary shelter from the elements and a place to rest the head each night.
The New Zealand version of Tom Hanks' famous friend. A rugby ball left behind in the park made the perfect company during isolation. He was named “Jeff” Wilson, in honour of a famous New Zealand All Black rugby player.
Five days into my own personal quarantining, the Prime Minister made a further announcement with the unprecedented decision to effectively quarantine the whole country. New Zealand was about to enter the world I had been living in albeit from the relative comfort of their own homes with a nationwide lockdown. Still symptom free, we made a family decision and after seven days “living rough”, I packed up my tent and headed home. Schools were now shut down and everyone was working from home unless deemed essential. Surprisingly unlike many other countries, the maintenance of sports turf was deemed non-essential by our Government which means absolutely no maintenance could be carried out during the lockdown at all. Another day and with another plan, we prepared for the worst during the 48hours we were afforded to prepare and having applied a growth regulator and fungicide to the greens and given the course a final mow, we closed the gates and headed into our socially isolated bubbles. As I write this article, those gates were opened marginally after three weeks and just two staff members were allowed back in and only then to undertake very minimal and only urgent maintenance. We are fortunate that it has been mid-autumn and not the beginning of summer and despite no maintenance at all, the course had held up very well, the treatments applied prior had worked and even with such a small crew and hours of work limited, we have the course ready for opening…..whenever that might be.
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During my time out in the hills and away from the modern distractions of life, I decided to keep a journal, sharing it each day on social media after a short drive to the top of a hill to find reception. It was largely about the lighter side of life and the modern hardships I encountered while camping that I am sure my grandparents who lived through the second world war would find laughable. Each day I tried to conclude my musings with a thought and this is an excerpt from my Day 14 effort which I am sure will be just as relevant now as I hope it will be by the time you read this and we find ourselves hopefully well into the phase of trying to return to normal. “Pandemics are a hotbed of fear. Fear we might catch it, fear we might spread it, fear for our families, fear for our clubs, fear for our jobs......it can be overwhelming. I always enjoy finding inspiration from great speakers and a recurring theme from some of the best I have listened to is how consuming fear can be but how the very best in their individual disciplines whether it be sport or business, learn to process that fear by acknowledging it and then quickly over coming it. That’s my goal for coming out the other side of this anyway and I’m sure many will be thinking the same. Golf has a wonderful opportunity in a society that will be correcting post COVID-19 and we should aim to be known as leaders that were calm, measured and helped steer our clubs through.”
LESSONS LEARNT FROM ISOLATION Have a plan but then be prepared to adapt it quickly should the situation change – and expect it will. Acknowledge fear but don’t let it consume you. Aim to overcome it quickly. As uncertain as you will be feeling now, your neighbour is feeling the same and so is the Superintendent up the road. We are all in this together. Don’t forget to reach out first. Determine individually how you wish to be remembered and then adopt a calm and measured approach. Try and be remembered for being the leader that steered the club successfully through. Be kind…full stop...what gestures can you perform right now to make someone’s burden lighter or their wellbeing brighter? Take time for yourself. As leaders we are adept to thinking about others but each day, we should be allowing a moment to think about ourselves. Read book, watch a show, take a walk - in simple terms, let the mind escape. Socially distance but stay socially connected. There are so many apps available now where you can do both so make sure you book that catch up with friends and family. The benefits from a familiar face or a friendly voice should not be underestimated.
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BATS AND GOLF
THE GREENS AFTER DARK
By Evan Drake, PhD Candidate at Rutgers University When trying to create a welcoming habitat for wildlife, it is often best to promote a diverse landscape. By that, I mean we maintain a mix of different habitat types (fields, forests, water, shrubs, etc.). Many forest managers strive for exactly that. They will mow some fields, but leave others to grow freely. They will clear-cut small patches of forest, but they leave others untouched. They will sometimes remove the shrub layer of a forest, leaving only wellspaced trees (or sometimes vice-versa). Is this starting to sound familiar? Yes, golf courses are essentially heavily managed ecosystems. First and foremost, they are designed for human use. But if we put in a little effort, a good golf course strikes a nice compromise with the local wildlife. Your local golf course is probably home to a wide variety of wildlife. Many courses provide favorable conditions for flowers and plants, both native and exotic. In combination with the plant diversity, water sources and unmowed patches grass support an abundance of insects. Those insects attract the many animals that like to eat them, primarily birds. Eco-friendly golf courses may consider their bird populations a feather in their cap (I couldn’t resist), but there’s another group of flying insectivores that may be taking advantage of the greens as well. I study bats at Rutgers University. Bats save the agricultural industry billions of dollars per year by preventing crop damage, and they help control the mosquito populations. Bats are fascinating study subjects not only because of their economic and ecological importance, but also because they’re just so strange. They are flying mammals, approximately the size of a chicken nugget, that navigate in the dark by screaming at the top of their lungs. Their faces have all kinds of folds and flaps that make them look like some kind of bulldog-banana peel
A hoary bat caught in New Jersey. Photo by Justin Martinez.
hybrid (search “horseshoe bat” and “ghost-faced bat” for examples). Learning about their many habits has been immensely rewarding, and I’d like to share some of it with you all. Over the spring and summer of 2019, I investigated the bat populations of some New Jersey golf courses. From a scientific perspective, golf courses are convenient study sites. They are similar by design. I like to think of them as landscape-scale test-tubes. No matter what the area looked like before, golf courses are standardized according to the rules and values of the sport. They have water sources, sand, trees organized in lines, grass cut to varying lengths, and walkways that wind through it all. The courses are all similarly sized, albeit differently shaped, and they are typically quiet and secure. While there is quite a bit of human presence throughout the day, it is less disturbing to the wildlife than typical human activities like construction or agriculture. This attention to detail makes designing a wildlife study very enjoyable THE GREENERSIDE |
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There’s another important reason I pursued this particular research project. While golf courses may be superficially similar to each other, they are quite different from what we would find in natural habitats. Most forests in New Jersey are thick with shrubs and thorns, and they have many thin trees with branches only toward the top of the trunk. Meanwhile, golf courses preserve the larger, straighter, more aesthetically appealing trees that may serve as interesting obstacles or provide relaxing shade. Rather than dense leaf litter on the forest floor, golf courses have manicured grass between their large trees. Perhaps humans aren’t the only ones who appreciate these features. Many birds (and possibly bats) use these open spaces as flyways between foraging grounds and nesting grounds. While many species prefer a more natural environment, there are some that thrive on man-made patches of land (like golf courses). The Questions: Does the land immediately surrounding the golf course affect bat activity on the course? The courses are all situated in different environments. Some have urban surroundings, others share borders with agricultural land, and others are nestled into a forest. Does an urban setting promote bat activity on golf courses? Does it reduce it? If a bat has nowhere else to go, perhaps golf courses provide a bit of sanctuary in an otherwise concrete landscape. We can also examine the patterns of species that live there. There are about nine species of bat in New Jersey, and they tend to behave differently. Maybe the bats that like open-air hunting will prefer to be near agricultural sites. Perhaps some bats are more tolerant of urban areas. I designed my study to test these ideas. The Equipment: Bats must constantly emit sound as they move, or else their perception of their environment would be severely limited. We can use that to our advantage as we search for them. We use ultrasonic microphones to record bats as they echolocate. They are triggered when they detect sound above a certain frequency (like a high-pitched bat call). From these recordings, we can identify which species of bats were calling, and hence which species were present at a given golf course site.
Matt Waina, Rutgers University, setting up a microphone at Cream Ridge Golf Course, Upper Freehold, NJ
The Study: Several times throughout the summer, I visited ten New Jersey golf courses in ten different counties. With the help of my assistant, Matt Waina (see picture), I set up my microphones in places that would likely have high bat activity. Specifically, I targeted water sources and tree-lines that were close to open areas. I left each microphone out for multiple nights to record bat vocalizations. The golf courses themselves were chosen so that we would have a variety of different landscapes surrounding our study sites. The ten participating (beautiful) golf courses were: • Avalon Golf Club, Middle Township • Cream Ridge Golf Course, Upper Freehold • Eastlyn Golf Course, Vineland • Harbor Pines Golf Club, Egg Harbor Township • High Point Golf Club, Montague Township • Neshanic Valley Golf Course, Branchburg • Overpeck Golf Course, Teaneck • Rutgers Golf Course, Piscataway • Sea Oaks Country Club, Little Egg Harbor Township • Stanton Ridge Golf & Country Club, Readington Township Each course was sampled twice throughout the summer. I left two microphones at each course for two consecutive nights. In general, I positioned one Emicrophone near a pond or stream (see picture), and I placed the other along the tree-line. THE GREENERSIDE | 17
The Results: Note that this study is still in progress, and I don’t have all of the answers yet. I’m gearing up for another round of data collection as I write this. I can’t give away too many juicy details until my research has been published in an academic journal (science requires peer-reviews and due diligence!), but I’m beyond excited to share some of my preliminary findings. When we analyze the recordings with specialized computer software (“SonoBat”), bat vocalizations are represented visually with a series of blue lines. These lines look slightly different depending on the species of bat making the sound. Hence, we can identify which species of bats are in an area. The pictures below show two different species of bats, and you can see the difference for yourselves. Note that one of the calls is mostly above that line at 40 kiloHertz, but the other dips far below. You can also see the differences in the shapes of the calls. The high-pitched call dips down sharply towards the end, while the low-pitched call is more rounded. SonoBat uses measurements like the duration, the frequency, the number of calls per second, and the range to narrow down the list of species it could possibly have come from. We found six species of bats on New Jersey’s golf courses in the summer of 2019. There were some exciting cases of rare bat species. For example, we found a recording of the little brown bat (yes, that is its official name) in High Point Golf Club. The only bat found on all ten golf courses was the big brown bat (again, official name). In descending order, from most common to least common, we found: 1. Big brown bat 2. Eastern red bat 3. Silver-haired bat 4. Hoary bat 5. Tri-colored bat 6. Little brown bat I also took note of how many bats were actively hunting on golf courses. How can I tell they’re hunting, you ask? Bats echolocate very rapidly when closing in on their prey, and we call that a “feeding buzz”. Those buzzes show up as very noticeable lines on our sonograms (see picture). Overpeck Golf Course had the highest feeding activity in my study. It is also worth mentioning that Overpeck was also the course with the most urban surroundings. This may suggest that bats are using this
A graphical representation of a recording of a big brown bat from Stanton Ridge Golf & Country Club, Readington Township
A“feeding buzz” from a big brown bat at Overpeck Golf Course in Teaneck, NJ. The region of small, tight lines in the center of the image show the bat’s echolocation getting more rapid as it approaches an insect.
course as a type of sanctuary. Perhaps we can think of it as an island of green in the concrete sea, and the bats are concentrating there as a result. If that were the case, it is all the more important that golf courses make efforts to accommodate their non-human patrons as well. There are a lot of directions that we can take a project like this. We can choose to focus on the time of year when female bats are pregnant or nursing (an important time for bat population growth). We can examine the distribution of land types around the golf course (see map). We can narrow in on a specific species of bat to look for. There may also be categorical differences among the golf course that we can test. For example, do golf courses certified by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (a certification program recognizing ecologically and environmentally responsible golf courses) have more bat activity? I will need to test more courses before I can ask that question properly. And that is the exciting part. There is still a lot of untapped potential in these types of wildlife studies. THE GREENERSIDE | 18
I have never been golfing in my life, and the extent of my golf-knowledge comes from mini-golf and Happy Gilmore. But after spending some time on a real course, I feel like I finally understand the big draw. It’s a beautiful way to spend a day. The greenery is well-manicured, the birds are chirping, and there’s the satisfying “thwack!” of someone teeing off. I had a lot of fun on every single one of my outings to collect data. When I first started planning the work, I was afraid courses might not be willing to let me use their property. Instead, I found so many people willing to work with me. Almost everyone I met had a serious interest in the wildlife inhabiting their course. They were far more knowledgeable than I was about the plants and animals in the area. In most cases, people were eager to give me a tour of the course’s best natural areas. I just want to extend another sincere thanks to everyone on every golf course that helped me this summer. I can’t wait to publish the formal scientific article about our study together. I hope I have the chance to come out and do some more work with you all. If you have any questions or comments about the study, bats, participation, wildlife, education, or outreach, please send me an email at evan.drake@rutgers.edu. I will be happy to talk about it.
A silver-haired bat caught in New Jersey. Photo by Justin Martinez.
A bat-detecting microphone aimed over a water source at Harbor Pines Golf Course, Egg Harbor Township, NJ
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1969
TAKE IT BACK TO THE FIRST TEE
At 13, Joel's first job in the turf business was working for Jim Roach at Green Hill Turf Supply in Howell, NJ. He rolled sod and learned to use a forklift. By 16, he was managing the crew.
Joel Jacquemot, CGCS Through the Years
In his spare time, he loved dirt bike racing and rode a Yamaha 175 dirt bike.
1974 He went to Lynchburg College in VA on a soccer scholarship, but left after a year and decided to take a job at Batteground CC working for Joe Schoen. Joel worked his way into the assistant spot.
1981
1976 Enrolled in the Rutgers 10 week turf program, and met classmates Dennis Desanctis Sr., Les Carpenter, and Tom Ritchie, who is now a lifelong friend.
Joel took the superintendent position at Oak Hill Golf Club in Milford, NJ. Oak Hill began as a club for the employees of the Riegal Paper Co. and was known as a "working man's club." Joel lived on property and worked at Oak Hill for 11 years.
Courses were taught by Dr. Ralph Engel and Raymond Korbobo who was known for his television show, "The Compleat Gardener."
1977 1987 Became a Certified Golf Course Superintendent.
Joel went on to be an assistant superintendent at Roxiticus Golf Club working for Bob Ribbans. He then became the assistant superintendent at Tavistock Country Club, where Tom Grimac was also an assistant. Tom Grimac and Joel at the 2019 Chapter Championship
1992
1989
Joel became the construction and grow in superintendent at Stanton Ridge Golf & Country Club. The architect was Stephen Kay and the course opened in 1994. Joel designates this as one of his most rewarding projects.
Never one to want to stay in the same place, Joel needed a change in pace and a break from NJ. He decided to help his friend Mike Ventura achieve his CGCS designation by volunteering to travel to his course, Perevo Golf Club, in Sardinia, Italy, to do his course inspection. He packed his stimpmeter and met him in the South of France. Joel at Perevo Golf Club
Steven Kay, Tony Pavelec, Emil Pavelec
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2000
While the early planning stages of Morgan Hill were happening, Joel took the project manager job at The Ridge At Back Brook, a Tom Fazio design. He went back to Morgan Hill in 2001, as project manager/general manager. The club opened in 2003.
The Ridge At Back Brook
Joel was hired by owners of a concrete company to consult on a project for a possible golf course on Long Beach Island called Eaglewood Lake Reserve. The owners of the land were golf novices, but had lofty dreams of building a world-renowned golf course. They enlisted Joel to interview architects for the project, which led to the hiring of Pete Dye. Although the project was halted in its early construction stages, Joel fondly reflects on his short stint working with Pete Dye as a hallmark of his extensive career.
1999 He became a project manager and regional manager for Meadowbrook Golf Group. His region included PA, NJ, DE, and was the construction superintendent on the Rees Jones project, Tattersall Golf Club. At this time, Joel also decided to become a partner in building The Club at Morgan Hill in Easton, PA.
1998 After Royce Brook, Joel needed a break and some time to wander. He has always had a passion for the outdoors and the water. He decided to live on a boat for a few months, traveled the country, and spent some time in California.
2006
Tattersall Golf Club
2008- Present Joel's career came full circle, and he is back at Oak Hill Golf Club, this time as the superintendent and general manager. He spends much of his time with his wife, Ava, and two children, Jake and Skylar. Joel still loves to travel. In January, he visited former GCSANJ member, Douglas Gonzalez, who is now the superintendent at the Iguana Golf Club in Los Suenos, Costa Rica.
1995 He continued his path in golf course development when he became the construction superintendent at Pebble Creek Golf Club, designed by Hal Purdy, who Joel described as "one of the nicest gentlemen." He moved onto the next project, Royce Brook Country Club, which was a Steve Smyers design.
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A VISIT TO THE CHERNOBYL EXCLUSION ZONE By Todd Raisch, CGCS
“Ukraine announced plans to open Chernobyl, their nuclear disaster site, to tourists. They say it’s just like Disneyland, except the 6-foot mouse is real.” -Conan O’Brien Being a regular traveler has one occupational hazard; with each successive voyage there is a desire to take the next trip up a notch. After traveling to dozens of countries and having seen and experienced many of the world’s sites and cultures across all six of the habitable continents, Lance Rogers at Colonia CC, Tyler Otero of Harrells and I had to dig deep into our bag of tricks this year to up the ante. The idea to visit Chernobyl in January 2020 began when we decided to attend the British Turfgrass Management Exhibition (highly recommend) in Harrogate, United Kingdom, a charming Yorkshire convention town about an hour and a half’s drive from Manchester in north central England. After attending that show for four-days (with Paul Dotti of Arcola CC and Andrew Shaul of Ridgewood CC) we made a quick stop in Tallinn, Estonia before continuing our former Soviet republics tour by heading to Ukraine. There may be something to all we keep hearing in the news about Ukraine. Our drivers over two days in Kiev
and to Chernobyl regularly spoke of systemic corruption in their country. We crossed over the “Bridge of Corruption.” We passed several “corruption villages” where the local officials on the take setup their luxury gated communities while everyone else lives in less than desirable conditions. We even had an unscrupulous police officer pull over our driver for speeding. After some yelling back and forth, the officer retreated and the driver confirmed that the cop was only looking for a handout.
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If we had a dollar for everyone who told us we were crazy for going on this adventure we could have paid for the entire trip. Two days after our Chernobyl visit, I was in Orlando for the Golf Industry Show. The word had already spread via social media about our trip and several people chose not to shake my hand due to some unfounded fear that I would pass along radiation to them. Despite conventional wisdom, visiting Chernobyl and the abandoned nearby town of Pripyat is actually quite safe. We were monitored regularly throughout our six-hour stay; at least eight times we passed through radiation THE GREENERSIDE |
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monitors. We also carried a Geiger-counter and each had to wear two radiation absorption meters. When we were safely out of the exclusion zone, a 30-kilometer radius centered on the ill-fated Chernobyl reactor #4, our meters said we had absorbed only 2-3 micro roentgens of radiation. By comparison a dental x-ray is approximately 9 micro roentgens and we all absorb approximately .80 micro roentgens each and every day from daily living in the world. Even the international flight to Ukraine exposed us to more radiation than we received while inside the exclusion zone. While all other tourists on the Sunday we visited only saw the power plant from afar, we had arranged for a private tour of the plant including the control rooms of reactors 1-3 by one of the Chernobyl plant physicists (no doubt from some other corrupt arrangement). We suited up for the better part of three hours and learned more than we cared to about the history of Chernobyl along with the design and execution flaws that lead to the explosion and partial meltdown. It was creepy, exhilarating and surreal all at the same time. We got within just a couple of feet of the outer containment wall to reactor #4 (as seen in the overhead picture where the finger is pointing). Somewhat surprisingly, Chernobyl is still in the process of being fully decommissioned, an arduous process that will not be fully complete until 2065. There are still a couple of thousand employees at the plant, by law those jobs provided first to the descendants of those who were originally displaced in the 1986 disaster. After a hearty Ukrainian lunch at the power plant mess, yes you read that right, we were on to Pripyat, a pop-up town of Chernobyl workers, population 46,000, that was deserted for eternity within 24 hours of the disaster. This was the real highlight of the day. Not ones for listening to humorless military officials, we disobeyed their orders to not enter any buildings by clambering though the dilapidated structures with their peeling paint, disintegrating concrete and broken windows. We visited the local hospital, athletic facility, elementary school, a restaurant, a housing high-rise and the famous amusement park with its iconic bumper cars and Ferris wheel so often seen in pictures of Chernobyl. It was amazing to see what 35 years of neglect can do to a town. Pripyat has been completely consumed by the Red Forest. 60-foot trees are growing everywhere there was once grass, landscaping and natural areas. Irradiated homes were bulldozed and buried, now mounds of dirt, with only a skull and crossbones sign marking their former existence.
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Perhaps the most noticeable thing in Pripyat is not the old deteriorated buildings, but the absolute deafening silence of the town. Eerie does not even begin to describe the experience. Chernobyl is not an intro level class in international tourism. It is hard-core, but one that I know the three of us are happy to have checked off the list. I love a beach and golf course as much as the next guy, but much to Lance’s chagrin, to top this one I’ve already mentioned that we may have to go to Pakistan next year. We’ll see…
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15
QUESTIONS WITH JONATHAN HEYWOOD
INTERVIEW
By Todd Raisch, CGCS
New GCSANJ Board member Jon Heywood, aka Big H, recently sat down with The Greenerside to discuss his career, family and Morris County Golf Club. 1. Tell us a little about where you are from? I grew up in Barnstable, MA on Cape Cod. It’s great being from there as growing up we were always boating, fishing, clamming, or something like that. Many fond memories, plus I still have family there, so there is always a free place to stay when we want to go back! 2. How long have you worked at Morris County Golf Club? This is the start of my 6th golf season here. I started working here in November of 2014. 3. What change would you most like to see to your operation or MCGC? We are in need of a major drainage line installed across about ¼ of our property, Kelly Ami Inc. did a master drainage plan here in 2016 and in order to complete this line we would need to cut through our 17th tee complex at about 15-16’ deep. It is the deepest cut that they have ever spec’d on a golf course in their career. So, we have that going for us. Other than that, we are in need of some upgrades to our maintenance facility. The original building where our offices are is from the 1970s. It’s time. 4. What is your favorite aspect of working on a golf course? I thoroughly enjoy the evolution that the cool season grasses go through each year, going in and out of dormancy and the challenges that seem to be never ending and evolving in order to maintain playing surfaces at the standard all of our members have become accustomed to. Being outside is great, obviously, I could never sit behind a desk eight hours a day. 5. What are your interests outside of work? My family and I are big winter people, so we try to spend as much time up north in Vermont as possible. We try to get as many days on the mountain as we can each year. I enjoy spending time with my family, barbequing and finding that next great IPA.
6. Why did you become a superintendent? When I was working as a high school kid at my local mom and pop Par 3 executive course, I had no clue what I was going to do. The superintendent I was working for at the time was Bob Doran. I looked up to him a lot the short time I worked for him. His passion and attitude were awesome. He explained to me that this was a career path, and one if I enjoyed what I was doing to follow. I did just that. 7. Tell us about your family. My wife Erika and I have been married eight years now and we have two beautiful daughters Hunter (4) and Greer (6 months) and of course Brody, who has been with me since my arrival at MCGC. 8. What are the unique aspects of MCGC? We have some pretty cool architecture here being a Seth Raynor golf course. There are a few awesome template holes. Depending on who you ask and according to some historical evidence found, we have been deeply linked to Charles Blair MacDonald as well. With some of the wrinkles in a few of the greens complexes here, you can tell C.B. had a hand involved during the build of this property, which is pretty cool.
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9. What are your biggest on course challenges at MCGC? Like most, we have a few problematic areas of the golf course with low air movement that we remedy with a portable fan. We have a lot of Poa trivialis in a few of our fairways that are always fun to deal with in the summer months. I might play around with some PoaCure later this season, we’ll see… 10. What does a typical summer day look like for you as a superintendent? I begin by driving my cart from the house to the shop (a five minute commute) with Brody each morning while he growls at whatever set of animal eyes he can see in the distance. I usually arrive 30-45 min before the crew start time. Next is going over the day’s plan with my assistants so we’re all on the same page. We get the crew set and explain our plan and then, if I am not hand prepping, spraying or rolling myself, I will walk or drive the golf course depending on the day and just look, observe, scout and take notes. After grabbing some lunch before the afternoon battle with the fireball in the sky, I’ll communicate with the assistants and hand waterers our plan for the afternoon and then cruise the property and assist where needed on moisture management detail. When the battle is over, it’s time to retire to the ice cold air conditioned office and outline the plan for the next day, discuss irrigation cycle requirements with my assistants and either head home or take the family for a cart ride. 11. What is the most difficult part of your job? Personally, for me its balancing work and life. Living on property has great benefits, but also can tend to feel like I am always at work. Even on days off, I find myself looking out the window and feeling the need for a ride around to see how everything is going or thinking about what I could be doing if I was on the course. 12. You spent some time before Morris County at Winged Foot. What did you take from your time with Steve Rabideau? I learned a lot from Steve in my time with him. His desire to improve the golf course in some way each day and leave it better than it was the day before is something that I took with me. Even working for Winged Foot with a larger budget, he found creative ways to be frugal and resourceful. I swear if you gave him $1 he’d find a way to make it turn in to $3 in short order.
13. You have done a lot of construction in your short time at Morris County. Tell us about that. We started construction here my second week on the job by renovating a few tee complexes. That was actually a sigh of relief as we had three greens complexes under the knife at Winged Foot when I left! Since my start, we have rebuild four greens to USGA specification re-using the Poa sod that was on the original surface. We have rebuilt the remaining tee complexes that were soil to mix and drainage. All bunkers have been shelled out, new drainage installed and lined with the Better Billy Bunker system. All green and bunker surrounds have been re-grassed with bluegrass sod. This past fall, we expanded one of our greens to allow more hole locations and variety, as well as rebuilt and expanded our short game area bunker. Construction has been fun and has made me appreciate Seth Raynor golf courses more as a result.
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14. You recently join the GCSANJ Board of Directors. How has that experience been so far and what do you hope to accomplish during your tenure? It was an honor to be elected to the GCSANJ Board of Directors. There is an outstanding group of professionals already on the board, some I know well and some I don’t at all. I love to network and get to know my peers and share stories and learn from them whenever possible. I also like to give back, working to help out and support one another, while continuing to build up and share our profession.
15. List four things we don't know about you? I once ate 28 slices of cheese pizza at a Papa Gino’s after high school football practice. We went every Tuesday and as far as I know, that record still stands. I am a huge Dave Matthews Band fan. I have been to 37 shows and backstage twice. My first major was not Plant and Soil Sciences. I originally accepted a football scholarship to play at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT, where I was majoring in communication. I left after one semester and transferred to UMass Amherst. I love listening to music, all types, all the time. Just don’t put on any Elvis…can’t do it…won’t do it.
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GCSAA WEBINARS & DEADLINES
RESOURCES COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR GOLF COURSES GCSAA knows your lives and businesses are being affected by the global COVID-19 Pandemic. While there is no lack of general information about the virus and its widespread impact, GCSAA wanted to provide you with resources specific to golf and business operations to assist you in this challenging time. Plus, keep up with GCSAA's latest updates concerning the pandemic. Visit gcsaa.org/resources/covid-19-pandemic-resources for more information.
May 19th Stormwater Management and GCSAA’s BMP Manual – Where does it fit? June 1st GCSAA Scholars Competition deadline. Visit www.EIFG.org/scholarships for more information. August 1st 2021 GCSAA Dog Calendar Submission deadline.
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GCSAA NATIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT AT GIS By Shaun Barry
The GCSANJ does not have many members who compete in the GIS National Golf Tournament. Those that do go, however, always seem to enjoy the competition even if they don’t have a lot of time to shake off the rust from their swings. While most of our members’ results were in the “wait until next year” category, several found their games in time to make their presence known when the results were announced. Rob Arnts, Tom Higgins, Rob Johnson, and Ron Simpson Jr. meshed together very well, and they won the Scramble Flight I event. This is a very popular event, and they had to defeat teams from all over the country. In addition to this victory, Ron Simpson Jr. had two Closest To The Pin shots. His winning shots were 1 ft 2 ins and 2 ft 0 ins. It looks like these shots contributed to the winning score.
certificate for his Net score. Close behind him in Net was Chip Kern, who finished fourth. Chip also won a Closest To The Pin with a shot to 3 ft 3 ins. Kevin Collins hit a shot to 3 ft 8 ins to win a Closest To The Pin prize, and he also won the straightest drive contest. Congratulations to all of our members who played. The tournament is well run, and it is a great opportunity to see old friends and make new friends while playing a game that most of us love. I hope to see you in Las Vegas.
Greg Boring and his brother Jay were winners in Four Ball II Gross and were tied for third in the Net. Greg did indicate that with his job, he hasn’t played much, so he did depend on Jay quite a bit, but in the end, they won as a team. Mike Brunelle and Tom Weinert placed fourth in Gross and fifth in Net behind the Greg and Jay, and Tony Hooks and Jeff Wentworth were close behind in sixth. In 4 Ball III Net, Lee Kozsey teamed up with Jay Klein for a ninth-place finish. Tim Gerzabek placed second in Classic SR I, and Mike Brunelle was tied for seventh in Classic III, which earned him a plate. Jim Swiatlowski played very well in Classic Senior II. He placed second in both the Net and Gross scoring, and he was awarded the winner’s plate and a gift THE GREENERSIDE | 30
GCSAA NATIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT ORLANDO, FLORDIA
Dave Dudones & Jim Swiatlowski
Mike Linkewich, Victor Frederico, Troy Seeton
Mark Miedler
Ken Anson and Tim Bruno
Doug Johnstone and Chip Kern
Greg and Jay Boring
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GCSANJ GIS SOCIAL ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Dr. Clarke, Paul Ramina, and Ellen Clarke
Rick Krok and Dan Kilpatrick
PJ and Sam Juliano
Mike Handley, Keith Bennett, and James Surico
Steve Bradley and Jeff Clarke
Tom Tucci and Scott Tucci
Dave Mishkin, John Fulling, Bill Murray, Rafael Barajas, Mark Kuhns, Brian McDonagh, Paudie Grealish
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GCSANJ EDUCATION DAY GALLOPING HILL GOLF COURSE
Guest Speaker, Dr. John Dempsey and Jennifer Torres
Dick Neufeld, Jim Cadott, Kevin Doyle
Jennifer Schneider, Tyler Otero, and Guest Speaker, Jodie Cunningham
Doug Johnstone and Tom Pepe
Mark Kuhns, Joe Kinlin, and John O'Keefe
Education Chairman, Mike Tardgono
Rob Johnson, Russ Harris, and Jeremy Hreben
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WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED "I clearly remember driving with my older sister when I was about 10 years old and listening
to the Guns N’ Roses album Appetite for Destruction. It was one of those don’t tell Mom and
Dad moments that will always stick with you. In the 30 years since that afternoon, I still feel
they are my band and never flip the station when a GN’R song comes on."
-Rob Johnson, Fisher & Son
"What music takes you back to your good old days?" "Back in high school, our golf team was very good, so after we won a match, we had a boom box and played "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen. To this day, I get a laugh when I hear that song." -Ian Kunesch, Soldier Hill Golf Course "Whenever I listen to Rush’s Moving Pictures
album it brings me right back to ski trips with my high school friends back in the mid-eighties. Great times cruising in my ’65 Mustang to Ski Liberty in PA, cranking (on cassette mind you) Red Barchetta, YYZ, Limelight, The Camera Eye, Witch Hunt, Vital Signs and of course Tom Sawyer - we were all great air drummers back in the day!"
-Paul Ramina, BASF
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"The Grateful Dead is one band that definitely brings me back to some good times! Some of the most fun I’ve had with friends were at Dead shows. It was the music, the people, and the scene that made it so unique. I actually went to the 50th anniversary shows at Soldier Field in Chicago!" -Russ Harris, Galloping Hill Golf Course "Most who know me know my love for Iron Maiden. I’ve been listening to them for 35 years, and seen them live 20 times. I listen to them still every day. The second concert I ever attended was April 2, 1987, Iron Maiden with Waysted at Madison Square Garden. Phenomenal for an almost 14 year old. 30 years later, on July 22, 2017, I took my almost 14 year old son, Rowan, to his first concert, Iron Maiden with Ghost at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. He was just as out of his mind as his old man 30 years prior...proud pop.”
-Pat Husby, Navesink Country Club
"There is nothing better than putting in earbuds and listening to some good old time Rock and Roll. Beatles, Stones, Zep, Dead, and The Band are just a few that take me back when I believe music “rocked.” So turn up the volume, close your eyes, and let your music be the rhythm of your soul." -Bill Murray, Pine Brook Golf Course
"My first band, The Bandits, were playing my 8th grade dance. We were playing Stairway to Heaven and the kids were dancing and having a great time. I thought I was the coolest kid there until I packed up my gear and all the girls were gone…went to Squan Tavern with the rest of the band and laughed the night away. ‘Stairway’ always brings me back." -Vince Giunco, Vic Gerard Golf Cars
GCSANJ PATRON DIRECTORY A.G. ENTERPRISES Staff Uniforms Rick Gordon Ph: 201.488.1276 Fx: 201.575.4140 merrick160@aol.com agenterprisesonline.com BASF Plant Protection & Plant Health Products, Lexicon, Xzemplar, Honor, Insignia David Schell Ph: 410.800.8762 david.schell@basf.com Paul Ramina Ph: 908.413.2944 paul.ramina@basf.com BAYER Plant Health Products Jeffrey Weld Pesticides 2 T.W. Alexander Drive Research Triangle Park, NC Ph: 914.419.9384 Fx: 877.492.1897 jeff.weld@bayer.com BLACK LAGOON POND MANAGEMENT Pond/Lake Management Michael Blaner Algae/Invasive Plants Control, Fountain & Diffused Aeration Systems 56 US Highway 130 South Bordentown, NJ 08620 Ph: 1.888.243.0891 Fx: 609.585.0525 info@blacklagoon.us
BRAEN STONE Construction Material Joe Klemm Stone, Sand, Recycled Materials, and Asphalt 400 Central Avenue Haledon, NJ 07508 Ph: 973.838.7100 Ext.2 jklemm@braenstone.com www.braenstone.com DOWNES TREE SERVICE CO. Tree Services, Mulch & Top Soil, Containers,Trimming & Removal Kevin Downes 65 Royal Avenue Hawthorne, NJ 07506 Ph: 973.238.9800 info@downes.pro DOUBLE ‘D’ TURF, LLC Turfgrass Aeration Specialist Dennis DeSanctis, Sr. Dennis DeSanctis, Jr. Drill & Fill, TurfPride, JRM Tines 86 Bergen Mills Road Monroe Twp, NJ 08831 Ph: 732.241.7378 dennis@doubledturf.com dennisjr@doubledturf.com DRYJECT NEW JERSEY Dennis Granahan 7 Seagull Lane Lincroft, NJ 07738 Ph: 917.617.8827 dryjectnj@comcast.net EARTHWORKS Carbon based fertilizers Jack Higgins Ph: 484 894-0242 hwww.earthworksturf.com jack@soilfirst.com
EAST COAST SOD & SEED Sod & Seed Supplier,Bent Grass, Bluegrass, Tall Fescue, and Fine Fescue Sod Kevin Driscoll Ph: 609.760.4099 kdriscoll@eastcoastsod.com EWING IRRIGATION & LANDSCAPE SUPPLY Irrigation & Turf Products Rain Bird Golf Distributor Fred Rapp frapp@ewingirrigation.com Ph: 848.225.4618 Jim Miner jminer@ewingirrigation.com Ph: 908.674.1145 E-Z-GO TEXTRON Nick Roberto E-Z-GO, Cushman, Jacobsen Ph: 845.637.7641 T 845.637.7641 FINCH SERVICES John Deere Authorized Dealer Phil Page ppage@finchinc.com Cell: 609.498.4031 Curt Moore cmoore@finchinc.com Cell:215.280.7367 419 Industrial Drive North Wales, PA FISHER & SON COMPANY Distributor of Golf & Turf Products,Fertilizer, Seed Rob Johnson 110 Summit Drive, Exton PA 19341 Ph: 800.262.2127 Cell: 215.475.7998 rjohnson@fisherandson.com
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GCSANJ PATRON DIRECTORY FOLEY INC CAT Equipment Dealer Sales and Rentals Cindy Snow csnow@foleyinc.com Office: (732) 885-3154 855 Centennial Avenue Piscataway, NJ 08854 GRASS ROOTS, INC. Golf Course Maintenance Supplies Ken Kubik: 973.418.7035 Keith Kubik: 973.418.7034 Jay McKenna: 973.418.7036 Office: 973.252.6634 HARRELL’S LLC Josh Kopera Cell:201.213.8693 jkopera@harrells.com Jen Schneider Cell:732.828.0895 jschneider@harrells.com harrells.com Ph: 800.282.8007 HELENA People…Products…Knowledge Tim Gerzabek Cell: 609.221.9240 GerzabekT@helenaagri.com www.helenaagri.com LABAR GOLF RENOVATIONS Golf Course Construction & Renovations Richard S. LaBar Jr. 170 Mount Airy Road, Suite A1 Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 Ph: 908.502.5353 rich@labargolf.com NOBLE TURF Brian Gjelsvik 25 Roland Avenue Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 Ph: 856.273.1402 briang@seetonturf.com
NUFARM Pesticides for the turf & ornamentals Michael Molchan 25 Roland Avenue Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 Ph: 610-653-7983 michael.molchan@nufarm.com
STEPHEN KAY GOLF COURSE ARCHITECT Stephen Kay 665 Saint Andrews Drive Egg Harbor City NJ 08215 Ph: 609.703.3300 stephenkgolf@aol.com
PLANT FOOD COMPANY “The Liquid Fertilizer Experts” Dick Neufeld: 973.945.6318 Tom Weinert: 914.262.0111 Tom Pepe: 609.751.1372 Biostimulants & Other Products for Premium Turfgrass www.plantfoodco.com
SYNATEK Shaun Kennedy 737 Hagey Center Drive, Unit A Souderton, PA 18964 Ph: 8662.266.9288 Fx: (267) 203-1613 skennedy@synateksolutions.com
SITEONE LANDSCAPE SUPPLY Providing the Products & Expertise That You Need & Trust Frank Jacheo: 732.489.1442 fjacheo@siteone.com Wayne P. Remo: 862.209.8243 wremo@siteone.com Shawn Reynolds: 401.486.9133 sreynolds@siteone.com SOIL & WATER CONSULTING Corey Angelo Consulting and Analysis for Your Turfgrass, Soils, and Water. Ph: 848.225.5115 corey@soilandwaterconsulting.com STORR TRACTOR COMPANY Commercial Toro Turf & Irrigation Equipment Steve Bradley, Jim Devaney Rick Krok 3191 Highway 22, Branchburg NJ Ph: 908.722.9830 sbradley@storrtractor.com
SYNGENTA Manufacturer, Plant Protectants Lee Kozsey Cell: 215.796.0409 Lee.kozsey@syngenta.com Brian Goudey Cell: 518-764-2412 Brian.Goudey@Syngenta.com TOTAL TURF GOLF SERVICES Greg Hufner 1965 Byberry Road Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006 Ph: 215.426.0554 gregh@totalturfservices.com VIC GERARD GOLF CARS CLUB CAR golf fleet and Carryall utility vehicles Vince Giunco 281 Squankum Rd Farmingdale, NJ 07727 Ph: 732-938-4464 vinceg@vggc.net
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